Mechanism to Update the Csg Cell Access Check Upon Plmn Change at Handover

1. An apparatus comprising a user equipment for use in maintaining closed subscriber group cells, the apparatus comprising a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to: during a handover of the user equipment in a dedicated or connected mode from a serving cell to a target cell, receive signaling indicating that there is a change to at least one of a public land mobile network PLMN and a list of equivalent PLMNs between a serving cell and a target cell, and utilize at least one updated PLMN to check whether a private cell is allowed for the user equipment; the at least one updated PLMN comprises the PLMN of the target cell which the apparatus receives from the target cell in a system information SI6 message; the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to at least further request of the target cell a location area update in response to receiving the PLMN of the target cell; the PLMN of the target cell is contained within a location area identifier of the target cell which is included within the SI6 message; the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to utilize the received PLMN of the target cell in place of the PLMN of the serving cell and in place of a list of equivalent PLMNs of the serving cell to check whether the private cell is allowed for the user equipment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the indication is one bit in a PLMN/EPLMNList_CHANGE indication information element which is received from the serving cell in a HANDOVER COMMAND message.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one updated PLMN is obtained during a location or registration area update; and the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to refrain from reporting private cells after the handover until the location or registration area update.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one updated PLMN is the PLMN of the target cell which the user equipment obtains during a location or registration area update that is triggered in the user equipment by the target cell.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to utilize the received PLMN of the target cell in addition to the PLMN of the serving cell and in addition to a list of equivalent PLMNs of the serving cell to check whether the private cell is allowed for the user equipment.